Dickinson State University - Prairie Smoke Yearbook (Dickinson, ND)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS fntroduction Faculty and Administration Organizations and Activities Greeks Underclassmen -%5enio|s Index • Introduction 3

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With this 1976 issue, the editor and staff of the PRAIRIE SMOKE, would like to pres| it a little of the history of DSC. It is felt that our nation's 200th birthday has been greatly commercialized, and we have decided against promoting that commercialism further. We would like to honor the nation briefly in some design, and by telling the story of DSC which is a part of the country, and a part which is relevant to the staff and students here at DSC. The alumni and other members of the cony, munity and the surrounding area are concerned ah 7 ’inTe rested in the status of the institution today and in the future. It is hoped that the students of DSC will accept this approach, for it is their book. We would like to extend our many thanks to Dr. Osbourne T. Belsheim for his permission to take excerpts form his book The Story of Dickinson State , which was published in 1968. THE PRAIRIE SMOKE STAFF Introduction

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Although hopes for a Normal School at Dickinson began before the turn of the century, it was two decades later before a Constitutional Amendment of the State of North Dakota was adopted, and the Dick- inson Normal School was born. There was a definite need for this school, for 25% of the teachers west of the Missouri were not even qualified to hold their jobs. Less than 14% of the teachers in 1912 had any education beyond high school. It is not definitely known who proposed the idea of the Normal School at Dickinson, but there were three men who were believed to have pushed the issue. Peter S. Berg, former Dickinson school super- intendent, Morton L. McBride, a North Dakota Sena- tor, who proposed the Constitutional Amendment, and fought the floor for its passage, and Judge Fred Maser, who was also one of the primary movers for the Amendments passage. These men were interested in bringing higher education to the students of south- western North Dakota, and gave little thought to the economic benefits of the school. It was during the 13th legislative Assembly in 1913 that Senator McBride introduced the resolution. The support was great from House members who came from the West River countries. After securing enough votes for the resolutions adoption, it was signed into law on February 15,1915 by Govenor L.B. Hanna. After much publicity by the members of the Com- mercial Club of Dickinson, and others, it came to a vote of the people in November 1916. It was passed into law by a 16,000 vote majority. Education instructor Tom Jensen assists a new freshman with his schedule during fall quarter registration. O.T. Belsheim performs a solo at the annual Messiah production. Introduction